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Waterfall

Lower Rainbow Falls

California

About

Lower Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, within the Mammoth Ranger District of Inyo National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 6 miles away. The falls sit at roughly 7,200 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mammoth Lakes show July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, while winter highs stay around 41°F. The Lower Rainbow Falls Trail starts about half a mile away, and the Fish Creek mountain biking route is also about half a mile off. For an overnight stay, Reds Meadow Campground and Minaret Falls Campground are both within about 3 miles.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

7,226 ft

Land manager

Forest Service

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Lower Rainbow Falls

California

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–78°F and lows of 30–49°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA weather station, 7.9 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high17° low
  2. Feb41° high18° low
  3. Mar45° high22° low
  4. Apr51° high27° low
  5. May60° high35° low
  6. Jun70° high42° low
  7. Jul78° high49° low
  8. Aug77° high47° low
  9. Sep71° high40° low
  10. Oct61° high30° low
  11. Nov49° high23° low
  12. Dec41° high17° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Mammoth Lakes, California · 5.9 mi
Managed by
Forest Service

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Mammoth Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

    Lower Rainbow Falls — Waterfall in California | Roamze